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How to Quit Coffee

Trying to Give Up Caffeine? A Step-by-Step Guide to Quit Coffee Once and For All

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No matter how addicted to coffee you think you are, there's always a way you can wean yourself off of it. Although your morning cup of joe might be a delightful beverage, consuming a lot of caffeine regularly has its downsides. You might experience the jitters or muscle tremors, headaches, insomnia, digestive issues, and dehydration. Additionally, because your body is reliant on an outside source to wake up, it's not used to producing its own energy, so you have a hard time being productive and feeling clear-headed without caffeine in your system.

If you're considering cutting coffee out of your life, trust me when I say that you will not regret it! I gave up coffee two years ago (after being the world's biggest caffeine addict and coffee snob for years), and it was one of the best decisions I ever made for my health. Here are all the tips you need to finally give up those lattes.

Wean Yourself Off Gradually

I made the grave mistake of going cold turkey. The result? Mind-numbing headaches for eight days straight that radiated all the way down to my kneecaps. I don't recommend it to anyone. Rather than swearing off coffee in one fell swoop, wean yourself off methodically. One day, drink a cup that's a quarter decaf and three-quarters regular. The next day, move to half decaf and half regular, and so on and so forth.

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Find a Replacement Beverage

Whether it's chamomile tea or golden milk, find a warm, comforting beverage that will replace the coffee you once clutched onto for dear life. This psychological trick will prevent you from feeling deprived, because more than anything else, coffee becomes a nice a.m. ritual you enjoy doing every day. But once you find a replacement for it, it won't feel like you've given up that ritual at all.

Drink More Water Than Usual

Your body is going through a big adjustment period, so you want to make sure you're staying well-hydrated. Drinking a lot of water throughout the day will also help with the withdrawal symptoms you may experience, like headaches and fatigue.

Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol is a depressant, so if you drink a few glasses of wine at night, you will likely wake up feeling like you desperately need a pick-me-up. The first thing you'll feel like grabbing? A big, fat cup of coffee. Just until you get out of the withdrawal phase, consider majorly cutting down on your alcohol consumption. In fact, it couldn't hurt to completely give it up for a week or two to help you body adjust to your new regimen.

Try to Work Out in the Morning

Your body needs to relearn how to naturally create its own energy source since it no longer has a steady stream of caffeine pouring in. To combat the tiredness you will likely experience in the a.m., get yourself to the gym in the morning. Working up a sweat, increasing your heart rate, and pumping yourself up with endorphins will give you a natural boost of energy, and you'll feel ready to conquer your day sans cappuccino.

Get a Lot of Sleep

You may experience disrupted sleep when you give up coffee. That's to be expected when you make any major changes in your diet or fitness program. While you're slowly peeling yourself away from coffee, give yourself the opportunity to sleep a full eight hours every night. Your body will have more power to get through the withdrawals, and you'll have more energy all around!